Running or leaking toilets (worn flapper valves/fill valves), slow drains, inadequate hot water delivery, dripping faucets, and backflow prevention device failures. In older buildings, pipe corrosion and reduced flow capacity are also common.

Monthly inspections — flush each toilet and urinal, check faucets for drips, verify no leaks under sinks. Running toilets that go undetected can waste significant water over time.

Yes. Most Ontario municipalities require backflow prevention devices on commercial water service connections, and annual testing by a certified tester. The type required depends on the building's hazard level — boilers, commercial plumbing systems, and chemical mixing increase the required protection level.

Annual service — checking the anode rod, flushing sediment, testing the T&P relief valve, verifying combustion, and confirming setpoint temperature (minimum 60°C storage for Legionella prevention). Most heaters last 10–15 years with proper maintenance.

Trap primers supply water to floor drain traps to prevent evaporation and sewer gas entry. Floor drains in mechanical rooms, washrooms, and service areas need working trap primers — especially during periods of low use.

Install low-flow flush fixtures, sensor faucets with aerators, and promptly repair all running or dripping fixtures. Regular meter readings help identify internal leaks — a sustained increase in water use with unchanged occupancy often indicates a hidden leak.

Failed water heater, closed valve, sediment reducing tank capacity, a faulty mixing valve, or pressure booster pump issues. Have a licensed plumber diagnose the issue rather than waiting for it to resolve on its own.

Heat tracing on exposed pipes, maintaining minimum temperatures in mechanical rooms (above 5°C), confirming pipe insulation near exterior walls, and draining all outdoor hose bibs and irrigation systems before winter.